debate about funding also revolves around the use of very costly external beam technologies.

Part of the debate about funding also revolves
around the use of very costly external beam technologies.
As Paganelli points out, there are different
radioisotopes he can use internally that deliver not
only beta particles (i.e. electrons/positrons) but also
alpha particles comprising protons and neutrons
(i.e. a type of hadrontherapy, and he’s in a good place
tomonitor progress in the external use of ion beams,
as theTERAFoundation, the Italian hadrontherapy
project, is based in Milan). By and large, internal
radionuclide approaches tendalso tobe safe andwelltolerated,
he says, especiallywith pretargeting,while
it is amyth that all such treatments need bunker-like
facilities to be administered.
While the radionuclides show promise in a fairly
limited number of treatments so far – bulky, solid
tumours have been less amenable to the targeted
approach–Paganelli is innodoubt that, giventhe right
backing, they should remain at the forefront of trans-

lational research, including a
growing use in studying the
action of targeted drugs.
Apart frommedicine and
his family – four daughters
and his wife Stefania, who
works inadministrationat the
institute – Paganelli’s biggest
passion is that ultimate in targeting,
fly fishing (medicine is
a hobby compared with this,
apparently).